Randolph College Recognized as One of the Nation’s Top Colleges—Again!

LYNCHBURG-Randolph College has once again been ranked as one of the country’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The educational services company featured Randolph in the new 2014 edition of its annual college guide, “The Best 378 Colleges.”

Randolph was also named one of the best colleges in the southeast.

Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and only four colleges outside of the United States are profiled in the book.

“We are always pleased to be recognized as one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges,” said Bradley W. Bateman, Randolph’s president. “Randolph’s strong academic program is enhanced by our community’s commitment to providing each individual student with the educational experience she or he needs to be successful in life. The immensely positive comments expressed by our students to The Princeton Review are indicative of what have always been hallmarks of Randolph: a strong liberal arts curriculum, dedicated, student- focused faculty and staff, and students who are intelligent, talented, and confident in their abilities and futures.”

“Randolph College offers outstanding academics, which is the primary criteria for our choice of schools for the book,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president/publisher and author of “The Best 378 Colleges. “We base our selections primarily on data we obtain in our annual institutional data surveys. We also take into account input we get from our staff, our 35-member National College Counselor Advisory Board, our personal visits to schools, and the wide range of feedback we get from our surveys of students attending these schools. It is their opinions that college applicants often value the most, particularly on (or in the absence of) campus visits. We also work to keep a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character.”

Students quoted in the Princeton Review profile praised Randolph for its close-knit community, committed faculty, and academic focus. “Rest assured,” the profile read, “you’re not just a number, you matter as an individual. Indeed this small, tight-knit community instantly makes you feel welcome. Additionally, students at Randolph are grateful they attend a college that promotes self-discovery, personal growth, and individuality.”

Another student said, “My professors are amazing! Their passion for the subject matter and course content is infectious. I look forward to each class each day and feel confident in my education.”

The editors also praised Randolph’s student life experience. Students reported life on campus to be “busy and exciting.” The publication quoted one “ecstatic student” as saying, “I don’t think I have (been) bored (since) the day I stepped foot on this campus.”

Randolph’s student body was described as “hardworking, artistic, caring, intelligent, unafraid to speak their minds, and committed to doing excellent work.” One student told the publication, “…it’s not too hard to fit in when there really aren’t any labels for people.”

The schools in “The Best 378 Colleges” also have rating scores in eight categories that The Princeton Review tallies based on institutional data it collected during the 2012-13 academic year and/or its student survey for the book. The ratings are scores on a scale of 60 to 99 and they appear in each school profile. Rating categories include: Academics, Admissions Selectivity, Financial Aid, Fire Safety, and Green, a measure of school’s commitment to the environment in its policies, practices and education programs. In addition to high marks for quality of life and fire safety, Randolph rated 94 out of the top score of 99 for “Green.”

The Princeton Review’s school profiles and ranking lists in “The Best 378 Colleges” are posted at PrincetonReview.com. There users can also access the book’s list, “150 Best Value Colleges for 2013,” and its “Honor Roll” lists saluting schools that received the highest possible score, 99, for Financial Aid, Fire Safety and Green ratings.